Knockturn Alley
by Lara1221
Summary: James and Lily are kidnapped and held at wandpoint.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own these characters :P

**A/N: **Just another James/Lily oneshot, this one chronicling an actual experience that could be considered scary, instead of just fluff :P I think it turned out quite nice. **Written for: (skip this stuff)**

**QL rnd 13: harpies' seeker: **write the James/Lily pairing**; great maze comp: **entry**; hunger games style comp ii: rnd 3: **(word) astray, (emotion) relief, (dialogue) "You're freezing!", (setting) knockturn alley, (subject) ancient runes**; category comp: **marauder era**; every letter challenge: **k**; disney character comp: faline: **write a pairing of your choosing**; hp chps comp: writing on the wall: **include that phrase**; hunger games comp: **"'I do,' I say. 'I need you.'"**; as many as you want comp: **OTP, James/Lily, maybe one day, lies, incredibly stupid, please, never, lips, shiver, falling, breathing fast, curtain of hair, undeniably beautiful, smoke, desperation, snowflakes, brighter than the sun, the writing on the wall**;**

* * *

Knockturn Alley

The snow was falling, fast and heavy by the light of the torches in the darkness. The heart of Wizarding London was bustling with preparations for Christmas; just out of Diagon Alley, though, was not.

Knockturn Alley was, in fact, dead quiet. Shadows creeped through the streets in a haze, and with it came the Death Eaters. They darted out between the buildings, from shop to shop in frantic movements. It was clear they were waiting and lurking; for what, no one could be sure. All that remained to be seen was who, exactly, was their target. Voldemort was a daily name in the _Prophet_, now; it was clear he had not quite reached his full power - the great potential that he was capable of - and the Wizarding World was at war.

At this time of night, anyone in London would not be caught dead lurking in that Alley, save the Death Eaters themselves. It was a trap, plain and simple. The Ministry knew what Voldemort wanted, but they certainly had no way of knowing when they would strike.

Smoke rose from the torches and touched the frostineess of the air; the glass surfaces shimmering with mist. Through the alleyway, there was hushed towns and it was as if there was a snake, lurking in the garden.

Watching, waiting. Lurking and ready to strike.

It all became clear, however, when a man and a woman, each of them carrying a wand, who were blindfolded and gagged, were pushed around the corner, and with a wave his wand, Regulus Black doused the light, and the streets flooded with darkness while the witch and wizard tried to scream.

* * *

Lily Evans' heart was pounding in her ears.

Her hands were bound and she struggled against her hold, and she could not see even the light of the stars. Beside her, James Potter's position was the same. They were being forced up against a wall, and Lily screamed but it could not be heard. She wanted, more than anything, to reach out and hold James' hand, to let him know that they were in this together, and provide them both with the warmth and strength that she could use and she could give, so that they could fight together.

Because they were going to have to fight, that much was clear. She didn't know who had kidnapped her, or why it was happening.

She'd be willing to bet, though, and would certainly place her luck on the Death Eaters on the paper. James was the son of a prominent Ministry official; she was a Mudblood. It all made sense.

They hadn't had their guards up at all, and that was a mistake. But it was Christmastime, in their final Hogwarts year; if anything, this showed they had to grow up, and make quick work of it, too. She wished she had thought to be safer, take less risks and watch her surroundings. Lily Evans was always straight forward and prepared, and it scared her immensely that she had had her guard down for even a second. James had been more watchful than she had, but in the end the corner had been flooded in darkness, and they had been outnumbered, bound and gagged and blinded and stripped of their wands, which scared her more than anything.

She tried to calm herself down and listen for James' breathing, which was steadier than hers but still fast and terrified. She moved just the smallest bit closer, so that he could feel the heat radiating off of her, and began screaming his name, as loud as she could through the gag. It steadied his panicked movements instantly; if he had fought anymore, they would have killed him.

She had no idea why she wasn't dead, anyway. But she wasn't going down without a fight, and she wasn't going at all with James beside her.

"Well," said a gruff voice, and she silenced, tears running down her face. Her curtain of hair flew around her, and the snow that caught in it made her freeze, even as sweat built up on her neck, beads that dripped with each move they made. "What are we going to do with them?"

She was terrified.

"Hand them over, of course. Those are the Dark Lord's wishes," replied the same one who had grabbed her arms.

But she and James were strong. Top of the year. Skilled in defence. Quick and sharp with their movements.

"Can't we have a little fun first?" This voice was a man's, bloodthirsty and maniacal.

And Lily hadn't realized it until now, but cared about him more than anything. She knew, somehow, that he returned her affections. It was not in the way he had asked her out over the three years before their last, or his constant fawning over her.

"I see no problem with that, Rodolphus," cooed a woman's voice, her sounds from her lips laced with venom.

It was in the way that he had changed, and become someone that she found herself loving above all else. The tender way he held her, the hushed tones in which he whispered her name.

There was love there; true, caring love that she wanted to keep and hold forever.

But the Death Eaters had other ideas.

Their blindfolds disappeared, and the pain rippled through her like lightning.

(Written on the wall above them was _Mudblood_, written in exactly that.)

* * *

_Fight it._

_Don't bend. Don't break. Don't let them get to you._

Fight it, fight it_, fight it._ It wasn't the Cruciatus curse, it was ancient magic of times when runes were the language, and they were writing them through the air, holding them hostage under the powerful bounds of the terrifying magic. James kept repeating it, over and over in his head like a mantra. He ignored the fact that he could see Regulus Black's face, the kid he used to think was innocent and far too young to be corrupted, and it made him want to kill Sirius's parents with full force; it was like sending a child into war. He focused on Lily – staying strong for her, and for the both of them together, because he was sure as hell making it out of this. Wand, or no wand.

He could hear her screams over his own, and just the sound wanted to make him stab Bellatrix Lestrange a thousand times over.

He thought of Lily, who was undeniably beautiful, and whose eyes shone brighter than the sun and reflected the stars, and who had the warmest heart of anyone he knew. He thought of the lies Sirius had been told when he was young, and how they were fueling what was happening right then in the Wizarding World. He thought of how fast he fell for her, thinking that maybe one day, they could get away from this incredibly stupid world where teenages were soldier and never go astray, because they had each other and their families and their _lives to live_ and that's what mattered.

And he fought it.

He struggled to move but he did, and even as they were torturing him he moved to his left to shield Lily. Bellatrix Lestrange stepped up to him, taking it as a personal insult.

"You _dare_ to fight me!" She brought the wand to his chin.

It seemed that Lily had fought it, too, forgot the pain even though it was bone-chillingly there, because spit covered her face. She was so disgusted, so _angry_, she rounded on Lily and screamed and marched toward her but there was a split second where he could —

In a flash, he had her wand. James fought with Lily beside him, taking down the Death Eaters in massive stupefies.

(They left Regulus Black to stand in shock.) James grabbed her hand and apparated in a flash. They collapsed into each other by the warmth of his fire.

"You're freezing," he mumbled into her shoulder. Tears stung her eyes, and he wiped them away. Kissed her forehead. Relief flooded him when she wrapped her arms around him, when he felt her heartbeat right next to his.

"James," she got out, tears morphing her words. "Thank god."

"Hey, I'm here." It was soft, reassuring; what she needed to hear.

Their hearts beat together.

* * *

I'd love to know what you think! :)


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